COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 59, 7 September 1914, Page 4

COMMENTS ON THE PLAY

{IT TBLBSRAPa.— SPECIAL TO TM FOBT.) AUCKLAND, sth September. From a Rugby point of view the game was disappointing, and it rarely rose to the (traditional standard of play set by previous matches between Auckland and Wellington, leaving supporters of both sides disappointed,, with their teams. Though possibly the all-round evenness of the individuals was the real cause for the game failing as a spectacle, the heavy oblique wind was also a disturbing factor, as is upset playefV calculations. Both sides had excellent scoring* chances which were not availed of, but, .taking the run of .the game right through, Wellington were unlucky not to have come off with a win. After Auckland had evened up the scores and Wellington had stolen down to a continuous attack, Evensen had a shot at goal from a mark and sent the ball against the cross-bar, and half an inch would have meant a goal, but the bounces went the wrong way. The sides showed a wholesome respect for each other, and frequently went in for spoiling rather than winning tactics, Evensen and Tilyard being notable in this respect during the first spell. In the second spoil this pair made big efforts to open up the game, and Bvetisen several times made excellent openings, but lost his supports. Tilyard on one occasion actually did break through, but fell a foot short of the lino in making a dash for it, when a pass-out would probably have served the side better. Twomey played a very fine fullback game, and E. Ryan, Algar, and Madden did a tremendous amount of defensive work, while Roberts was the head and front of the team's aggressive play from the rear; but, when all is said, it was the youth and dash of the Wellington forwards that was the chief feature of tho game. At the opening of the first spell and throughout the second Spell (after the first ten minutes) they harried the Aucklanders in .the scrum line and loose, with rarely a let-up. So persistent was their following that the Auckland pack abandoned faith in their backs and dropped the attack by knocking back from the line in an endeavour to break through by weight. Wilson and Shera led the pack brilliantly for the earlier part of the game, but later .they gave way to Moffitt and Bell. Ross, the Auckland half, found the visiting forwards a continual source of trouble, but he played well up to Roberts, and at times he sent his backs away in fine positions, but M'Kenzie and Geddes signally failed in the vital point of Speeding up the attack, and they were either caught Avith the ball or sent it away so late that their outsides were crowded to touch. Thus Macky and M'Gregor had little opportunity, and when they endeavoured to make chances they generally found Afgar and Madden equal to the occasion. Moflitt, the Auckland fullback, was not up to his usual standard, but he made no fatal error. On Wellington's showing to-day tho Auckland experts fully anticipate that .theßanfurly Shield will go to Wellington next week.